Taking Mathematical Sciences Beyond the Lecture Halls

The Africa Scientifique Programme empowers graduate students and researchers with essential skills to effectively communicate science and engage with diverse African communities. Following a three-day Africa Scientifique Programme workshop (Phase 2), participants begin a six-month project support phase (Phase 3), during which they apply their knowledge through real-world Afrocentric mathematical sciences communication outreach projects. These science projects are designed to address local societal challenges, bringing science closer to communities in meaningful and impactful ways.  All Africa Scientifique participating students who successfully complete their Phase 3 projects receive a Leadership Award Certificate and a Letter of Commendation, recognising their growth in science communication, leadership, and public engagement. The three best posters receive Best Poster Awards.

Explore the outcomes of the Africa Scientifique Post-Workshop Science Communication Projects, showcasing participants’ impactful work as they receive mentoring and support. 

Mentoring and Support Planning & Delivery

With guidance from the AIMS House of Science and African Gong, participants design, implement, and evaluate their public engagement activities. This hands-on phase includes strategic mentoring to help students create impactful science communication strategies, from tool design and platform selection to project delivery. Students benefit from Lab sessions, as well as group and peer-to-peer mentoring offered both online and in person.

Delivery of Outreach Science Communication Activities

The project activities highlight students' creativity, innovation, leadership, and empowerment, showcasing how the Africa Scientifique Programme enables young researchers to use mathematics in addressing societal challenges. These projects reach diverse audiences - including marginalized communities - across various locations and employ a range of communication goals, formats, tools, and African indigenous languages to connect mathematics with socio-economic and cultural issues.

By engaging with the public, these emerging scientists are gaining valuable skills to become leaders in science communication. Through hands-on experiences, they share insights, learning outcomes, and the challenges faced in building trust and impact.

 Science Communication Projects: 2020 -2021 Africa Scientifique cohorts (AIMS South Africa)

The project activities demonstrate students’ creativity, innovation, leadership, empowerment and the impact of the programme in terms of how mathematics can be used to address societal challenges. They (activities) further illustrate the diversity of public audiences (particularly the hard-to-reach and/or neglected), geographical locations, goals for communicating, mathematical themes or concepts, engagement platforms, formats and tools, use of African indigenous languages, and range of topics inspired by African socio-economic and cultural challenges. Most importantly, the project activities demonstrate that young African researchers are willing to engage with public audiences, and if they are equipped with the necessary skills, their potential to be well-rounded scientists who can contribute to science communication advancement and footprint on the continent could be realised. The students also shared their learning outcomes, insights and knowledge from the ‘hands-on’ experiences and ongoing science engagement intentions and challenges they faced during the project activities delivery process, from enrolment to engendering trust and impact in their target audience.

Recognising Excellence and Leadership 

AIMS students are recognised during the Recognition of Achievement Ceremonies, while students from partner universities are honoured through a dedicated online award ceremony, organised in collaboration with their respective Departments of Mathematical Sciences. 

Academics who support students from partner universities in project planning and delivery, in partnership with the House of Science and African Gong, are recognised with an Institutional Leadership Award, in acknowledgement of their contribution to mentorship, collaboration, and science outreach.

“Attending the Africa Scientifique masterclass is one of the best personal decisions I ever made during my stay at AIMS South africa… In the beginning I was like this is just protocol but by end of the three days I was amazingly delighted by the soft skills I gained, amount which, the most valuable in my sense is the ability to clearly communicate ones ideas, capture the audience attention and deliver succinctly the message making the public engaged and involved in the message you are delivering. This skill now guides every piece of my scientific outreach. Presenting my project at a high-profile event sharpened my ability to communicate complex ideas succinctly and visually. The positive reception has strengthened my confidence in leading science-communication initiatives and forging international collaborations.” 

Koffi Benjamin Agbenaglo – AIMS South Africa Master’s Student